Secrets to keep and bullies to save
by wolfypuppypiles
Summary: First Flash had punched him in the face for no reason and he got detention, then they were kidnapped from said detention. How could his day possibly get any worse?


(This is a prompt fill and also a secret santa gift for Ava Simbelmyne so I hope you like it!)

"Thanks a lot, Penis."

Peters jaw dropped at the remark and he glared at Flash as he whisper-yelled back. "How is this my fault?!"

Flash narrowed his eyes, waving a hand towards Peter as he grumbled. "If you didn't go bleeding all over the place and make a big deal out of everything none of this would have happened."

Peter wanted to web him to the ceiling so bad. "You're the one that punched me! This is your fault!"

"Mr Parker, Mr Thompson, if I have to tell you to be quiet one more time I'm going add another week to your detention. Is that clear?"

Peter sunk into his seat, pressing his tissue harder to his nose to try and stop the bleeding. "Yes, Mr West."

The man looked up from his book, eyes narrowed in concern as he watched Peters nose drip blood onto the collar of his shirt. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the nurse?"

Peter gave a half-hearted smile, shrugging. "I'm okay. It'll stop soon."

Not that he could go to the nurse anyway. For one, he couldn't have anyone find out about his healing abilities and more importantly if he went to the nurse they'd have to call May and Tony.

The school calling them about Peter getting detention was one thing but a trip to the nurse would have Tony rushing back from overseas in an instant.

It was better to be scolded for getting detention than to have to deal with another broken window after Iron Man invaded the school.

Peter pulled the tissue away from his nose, happy to find the bleeding had finally stopped when something else caught his attention.

It was the unmistakable thump of a body dropping to the ground and it had come from down the hall.

His spidey sense sent a shock down his spine, hairs raising on his arms and putting him on alert. Something was happening. There were footsteps coming towards them down the hall and Peter could already hear guns being cocked.

But he was in detention what was he supposed to do? He couldn't take them out as Peter. Especially not in front of Flash, he'd spill his secret for sure. God, Mr Stark would be so mad if he came back from his trip to find Peter's identity exposed. He'd be grounded for life.

The footsteps came closer and Peter heard low voices telling others to get into position.

"We're here for the Thompson kid. His dads loaded. And listen, we're doing this for the money, we don't want to rack up any big charges on this. So, just knock out the teacher and grab the kid. In and out, we have to be fast."

So, it was a kidnapping. They wanted to hold Flash for ransom but they didn't want anyone to get hurt.

He had to make a choice. Was he going to be Spider-Man it was he going to be Peter Parker?

Neither Flash or Mr West had noticed the danger yet and Peter decided on a course of action. The kidnappers were only there for Flash. Peter could wait till they grabbed him and follow them afterwards in his suit. Spider-Man could save the day and his identity would be safe.

Evidently, he had decided just in time. The door swung open with a bang and the men charged through, five of them, all armed with huge guns. Mr West stood, hand reaching for the fire alarm only to cry out in pain as the butt of a gun came swinging down on him.

It didn't matter if waiting was the most logical option, Peter felt so guilty. Flash screamed as the teacher thumped onto the carpet, unconscious and Peter sat tense and rigid in his chair.

The leader of the kidnappers pointed to Flash, his goons quickly grabbing him.

"Stop! Please don't hurt me!"

The leader's eyes found Peter and he pointed a gun right between the kid's eyes. "Don't move. Don't make a sound."

Peter wanted to smack the gun away but he nodded instead, hands clenching down on the seat of his chair so hard he felt his fingers indent themselves in the plastic.

The men pulled a zip tie around Flash's wrists and dragged him out of his chair, the leader narrowing his eyes at Peter before nodding to the other two men, waiting by the door. "Get this one too. If he goes to this school he must have fancy parents willing to pay."

Crap. Plans ruined.

The armed men walked over, grabbing Peters' hands and tying them with another zip tie. For most people, sure, a zip tie is a pretty good way to secure someone but for Peter, it was almost laughable.

He couldn't help himself, he sighed as they secured him. "You really don't want to do this."

One of the guys pulled his zip tie harder, squeezing it till the plastic bit at Peters skin.

"Oh, really big man? You gonna take us down?"

"Only if I have to." He smirked, irritating them further as they pulled him up from his chair and shoved him forward.

Flash was being led out of the room, rough hands dragging him down the hall by his shirt. "Hey man, go easy! This is my favourite shirt-ugh." Flash's complaining was cut off with a grunt as a fist thumped him in the stomach, shutting him up in an instant.

Peter clenched his teeth, digging his feet into the floor just to make it more difficult to drag him along. He may not have liked Flash but he would never be able to watch anyone be harmed without wanting to do something about it.

"Keep moving."

Peters instincts were telling him to duck and throw the kidnappers grip off, using their own strength against them to send them to the ground. His knees were ready to bend, shoulder itching to dip but he couldn't give up his ruse.

Not even when they were pushed past the security guard on the floor of the hallway, unconscious. That must have been the noise he'd heard earlier.

Flash grumbled as he was shoved along, the two of them being led outside to a van waiting by the curb. Flash immediately started backing away, mouth opening to scream, only to be shoved inside with Peter being tossed in after.

Peter landed roughly on the floor of the van, being shoved into the corner with Flash as the kidnappers got in and started the van.

The two teenagers swayed and rocked as the van sped away and Flash turned to Peter, voice low and shaky. "What are we going to do? We have to get away."

Peter would have liked nothing more than to snap the silly plastic around his wrists and take out the bad guys but even if he tried to escape as Peter, Flash could get hurt. "Just do what they say, Flash. The police will handle it. We'll be okay."

The boys shoulder shoved at Peter, grumpy whisper only for him to hear. "Coward."

It didn't take long for the van to stop and both boys were dragged out and into an abandoned building.

Flash wouldn't stop talking, demanding they let him go and that they'd regret ever taking him. "You're going to prison! Once my dad knows you've taken me he'll make sure you never get free!"

Peter grit his teeth as he was led to a chair and shoved into it. "Flash, shut up."

But the boy had never listened to him before. "There's not even any point taking him! He doesn't have any parents! No one's going to pay his ransom! You're just getting yourselves into even more trouble."

"I said shut up, Flash!"

The kidnappers were growing tired of the noise and Peter watched as one of them clenched his knuckles into a fist.

"Be quiet or I'm going to knock your teeth out."

Flash should have been scared, he should have just shut his mouth but that boy had always had an inflated sense of self-importance. "You can't hurt me! I'm your meal ticket, idiot!"

The knuckles raised and Peter groaned, hating what he had to do. "It would be like tearing up a check. You guys really are stupid."

He glared at the men, pulling their attention from Flash and onto him.

Peters spidey sense told him it was coming and he had to stop himself from dodging as the fist came swinging towards his face. Peters' head snapped backwards, a grunt of pain leaving his mouth as pain bloomed across his lip.

Flash finally went quiet as Peters mouth filled with the taste of copper, his lip cut on his own teeth from the blow. A hand gripped his hair at his forehead and yanked his head back as one of the men glared down at him.

"If he's right and you don't have parents to pay the ransom, there's no need for us to keep you all pretty and unharmed. So, be quiet or I'll come in here again."

Peter glared back until he was released and the men finally left, locking the door after them. Peter panted in his chair, gently tonguing the beside of his cut lip to inspect the damage.

"Are you okay?" Flash sounded uncharacteristically concerned and since he was the reason Peter been kidnapped and punched in the face twice that day, he was done with him.

"I told you to be quiet. Why'd you have to annoy them like that?" Peter wasn't usually so confrontational but there was only so much crap he could deal with from Flash in one day.

The other boy shifted in his chair, the zip tie digging at his skin. "We could have jumped out of the van when they were driving us here! Why'd you have to be a coward?"

Peter turned to him, baring his teeth as he bit out his words. "I wasn't being a coward, I was being smart! There's no way we could have opened the door and gotten out. They would have dragged us back in no matter who was watching and that's if we didn't kill ourselves jumping out of a moving van! Do you know how fast they were driving? Why don't you just shut up for once and listen to me! They aren't going to hurt you, they want your dad's money so, just be quiet and do what they say!"

Flash looked the young hero up and down as if never before realising that Peter was capable of losing his temper. His gaze caught on the rapidly swelling lip and the blood staining Peters' teeth.

Finally, he just looked away, words quiet. "Whatever, Parker."

It was a while till they heard anything else from their kidnappers. Or at least, it was a while till Flash heard anything. Peter heard it all. He heard their plans and their names and he carefully catalogued every detail he'd need to give to the police in case the men got away.

"Hey, we could pry open that window."

"Shh."

Peter furrowed his brows, concentrating on what was being said in the other room but Flash didn't let up. "They didn't even tie us to these chairs, and our hands are in front, we can still use them. These guys aren't very good at their jobs, we can get out of here. They probably won't even notice."

"Shut up."

Dammit, he'd missed what the leader had said. Something about how much they wanted for Flash.

"What is your problem? Don't you want to get out?"

God, why couldn't he have been kidnapped with some else? Anyone else? They were whisper yelling again and it would have been comical if Peter weren't furious with his school bully. "We will get out when the police come! Why can't you just do what you're told?"

Flash looked offended, shuffling in his chair and adjusting his tied arms in his lap. "I've seen movies, Penis! We'll be better off if we leave now! Stop being a pussy and just-"

"This isn't a movie!" Peter couldn't help but snap at him. He really had no idea what was going on. "Damien is at the door right now, watching us! If you so much as stand up from that chair he's going to come in and hit me again until you stop because I don't matter remember?! If you try to escape, if you try to fight them, they'll hurt me and I can't let that happen to May, I can't let her lose anyone else. This isn't just about you, so stop and be quiet, I'm trying to listen!"

Flash blinked at him, shocked. "How do you know his name? What are you listening to? I can't hear anything."

Peter blocked him out again, only catching the end of a phone call from the other room.

"-if you don't want him, I'll find someone who does."

"Dammit." Peter closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. Why couldn't anything go right?

"What? Did you hear something?" Flash shuffled towards him again, only to jump in fright when the door slammed open.

The leader, Abel, Peter had heard one of the others call him, marched in, angry and tense. "Apparently you're not as important as we thought after all. You're dear old Dad refused to pay the ransom."

Flash's face paled and he shrunk down in his chair. "What?"

His Dad wasn't going to bail him out. He wasn't going to give them any money, which meant…

Abel smiled cruelly, leaning down to meet Flash's scared gaze. "Not as untouchable as you thought, huh kid? If your dad doesnt want you, we'll just sell you to someone else, someone who doesnt mind merchandise with a few bruises."

Flash had been arrogant and presumptuous with them and his dad had caused them trouble, they were going to punish him for it but Peter had heard who they'd been talking to on the phone and it hadn't been Flash's Dad. Mr Thompson had come to career day once, Peter knew what his voice sounded like, the man on the phone who'd refused to pay the ransom must have been the police. Which meant they would be on their way, they just had to stall.

"Wow, beating up a teenager? You must be really insecure if you need to do something that low to feel like a man. And he's got his hands tied too, you must be real small down there, huh?"

Abel growled, attention snapping from Flash to Peter in an instant. Great.

"You shut up. You're going with him, you little shit. You're going to enjoy your new owners."

Peter knew what he was about to say was going to get him in trouble and he knew it was going to hurt, but that was kind of the point. "Probably about as much as you'll enjoy your cellmate in prison. Or should I say about as much as he'll enjoy you."

The fist swung towards Peters' face so fast he likely wouldn't have been able to dodge it even if he'd tried.

He grunted at the blow, Flash gasping next to him. His head throbbed from the third punch of the day and he briefly worried about a concussion becoming a problem before Abel was grabbing the collar of his shirt in his fist. He yanked him forward, pressing his face close to Peters as he growled.

"You think you're so funny? There's nothing funny about this, kid. Don't you realise how much trouble you're in?"

Peters whole body was rigid, shoulders and chest all tensed as he held himself back. He wanted to pull away, he wanted to get the hell out of there but what choice did he have? A normal teenager couldn't take them on, so, he had to stay in the chair and he had to make sure they didn't hurt Flash.

Tony's voice came to his head then, soothing all his fears at once. 'If you're nothing without the suit. Then you shouldn't have it.'

He needed to be brave, no matter how scared he was, no matter how much it hurt and no matter how many times he was hit. He smirked and threw his head towards Abel's, their skulls cracking together sharply.

Peter could practically feel his brain bouncing around in his head and he blinked through his suddenly blurry vision, watching Abel stumble back and clutch his now, bleeding head. The rest of the kidnappers all raised their guns, aiming them towards Peters wonky smile.

"I know that anyone stupid enough to kidnap two students from their school in broad daylight can't have much of a brain rattling around in that thick skull."

Abel pulled his hand back from his forehead, revealing a bleeding split across his eyebrow and Peter blinked again, feeling his own cut drip blood into his eye.

"You little-" He didn't bother finishing, sending a boot smashing into Peter's ribcage. His breath rushed out of him as his ribs protested, his chair rocking back to send him crashing to the floor. He coughed harshly, tumbling onto the cold, dirty concrete.

"Stay down, kid."

He should have, he really should have but Abel started to move towards Flash and Peter couldn't let that happen. He sucked in a shallow breath, chest burning and throat aching as he coughed, trying to breathe after being winded so thoroughly. He pressed his tied hands to the ground and pushed up to his knees, panting as he asked, yet again, for more.

"Why? Are you tired?"

Abel wiped his wrist over his brow, flicking the blood away to splatter on the floor as he turned to narrow his eyes at Peter. "What is wrong with you? Why don't you just give up?"

Abel watched Peter where he knelt on the ground, using his shirt to wipe the blood from his eye. He narrowed his eyes a little, gaze sweeping from one teenager to the other and back again as he smiled a little.

Crap, he knew.

Abel reached for Flash, hand curling around the kids collar and Peter couldn't help but shift forward, eyes widening in fear as he instinctively reached for the other boy. Abel laughed, a sick smile lighting up his whole face. "Oh, man. Have you really been taking all those hits for him? I have to say, it worked. All those snarky comments you made to keep my attention on you and not this little punk. He hasn't got a scratch on him. That's about to change."

Flash squirmed in his seat, eyes wide as his gaze bounced between Abel and Peter. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Peter got to his feet, hands clenched into fists where they remained restrained in front of him. "Don't touch him. No one's going to pay for two busted up kids. He'll be worthless if you hurt him."

He just had to stall a little longer, just long enough for the police to come.

Abel laughed and the other kidnappers kept their guns trained on Peter as he took a step forward. "Why would you take his beatings for him? You his boyfriend or something?"

Flash let out a terrified squeak and Abel yanked him up by his collar, forcing him onto his feet. Peter flinched, hands shooting up to reach for the teenager, though he was a good few feet away. "Stop!"

Abel raised a fist, turning away from Peter to smile down at Flash. Big mistake.

"I'm gonna hurt him. And I'm going to make you watch."

"GOD DAMMIT!"

Peters shout was so sudden and furious it froze everyone in the room. Abel turned back to him as Peter sighed, and snapped his zip tie in one small tug. "You just had to threaten him. You HAD to go and try to hurt him."

Abel almost dropped Flash back into his chair, mouth gaping as Peter strode towards them, almost blase about it all. "What- you-"

Peters hand snapped out and grabbed a gun from one of the other kidnappers, yanking it from his hand and tossing it behind him. "Listen, I was happy to just go along with this whole thing and let you hit me until the cops came but nope! You had to take it too far and now I have to do this."

The, now gunless kidnapper, had been so shocked he didn't even fight back as Peter grabbed the zip tie hanging from his belt. He moved so fast the criminal had barely even blinked before Peter ducked and swept his legs out from under him. The other men didn't know what to do as Peter climbed up the wall, dragging the kidnapper up with him and leaving him straddling a beam in the rafters.

"What the hell?"

Dusk was falling and with the building being abandoned as it was, it was pretty dark and the rest of the thugs couldn't see Peter as he crawled across the ceiling.

Abel shoved Flash back into his seat, pulling his own gun from his holster. "Find him!"

"I don't even like Flash! He punched me in the face! That's why I was in detention with him, it was why I got kidnapped too. And I was going to let the cops handle it because Mr Stark is always telling me not to risk my identity but here we are."

Flash shrunk down as much as he could in his chair as the kidnappers searched the ceiling for the spider, unaware that he had already hopped down and grabbed another one of them. He covered their mouth with his hand and tossed their gun, hauling them up to the rafters, leaving them hanging on for dear life. He would have webbed them there if he'd had his suit but he was just going to have to do without it.

"Show yourself you little freak!"

Another hop down, another criminal dragged up. "You really ruined my day, you know."

"WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Abel spun around, aiming his gun through the darkness, growing angrier with each remark from Peter.

"If Mr Stark takes my suit away for this, I'm blaming you."

Peter hopped down once more and swung Damien up to the rafters before Abel called out again.

"SHOW YOURSELF OR WE'LL HURT HIM!" Abel grabbed Flash again and pressed his gun to his head, making the boy whimper and squirm in his hold.

Peter dropped down from the ceiling, landing in a crouch on the floor and getting slowly to his feet as he smiled.

"You mean, you'll hurt him. All your buddies are already taken care of. It's just you and me."

Abel looked around, suddenly terrified. "Where- how-?"

Peter walked towards him, leisurely as anything. "'Cause I'm Spider-Man."

Abels' eyes blew wide and he let go of Flash, swinging his gun to aim at Peter as the kid sprinted towards him. Flash screamed at the sound of the gunshot, curling up on the floor and wrapping his arms around his head as much as he could with his wrists still tied.

There was a grunt, the clatter of a gun on the floor and a scream before it was quiet, nothing but the soft thump of graceful feet hitting the floor.

"Flash, we gotta go."

Peters touch on his arm made him flinch, curling up tighter as he let out an embarrassingly frightened squeal.

The hands backed off as Peter crouched beside him, hands raised and waiting. "It's okay. You're safe but we have to go."

Flash lowered his arms from his head and stared, dumbfounded at the kid in front of him, a kid he thought he knew.

"How did you- you're-"

Peter nodded, tired. "Yes, I'm Spider-man. Now, hold still this might hurt a little."  
He took Flash's hands and gently pulled them towards him, slipping his fingers in between the plastic and Flash's skin as much as he could, not wanting to hurt him. He pulled and with barely any effort, the zip tie snapped off.

"There. You okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Flash was frozen, not knowing what to say. Peter was kneeling there, watching him with worry while he was clearly hurt. The cut over his brow was still sluggishly bleeding, dripping blood down his face and over his eye and his lip and cheek were swollen, turning purple already.

Flash could see the pain in his expression, the tightness around his eyes and mouth with every slightly wheezy inhale. But as Abel had said, there wasn't a scratch on Flash _._

"No, I'm okay."

Peter nodded, relieved and offered a hand to pull Flash to his feet.

Flash shivered at the cold, looking around the empty building, wrapping his arms around himself to keep warm. "Where did the bad guys go?" He'd had his eyes shut for most of the fight.

Peter had been turning to leave but stopped at Flash' question and pointed to the high ceiling.

Flash looked up, peering into the dark but could see nothing.

"Please, get us down. Don't leave us here."

Flash jumped at the voice high above them but Peter grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door. "I'll send the police to get you down."

Flash shivered at the cool air, searching the street for anything he'd recognise, finding only empty streets and broken down abandoned buildings.

Peter tugged on his arm again, pulling him down the footpath. "This area is just a bunch of closed down factories. We're a ways out from where we want to be but I know how to get back."

Flash wasn't really processing much, still in shock about everything and he followed along with no resistance. "How?"

Peter led him down an alley, senses sharp and on the lookout for any more trouble as he answered, a little distractedly. He didn't know if Flash meant how he knew or how to get back so, he answered both. "A lot of black market deals do down around here so, I'm in this area pretty often during patrols. It won't take that long to get back but we'll have to walk. Those guys didn't have the decency to bring our bags when they kidnapped us. We don't have money or phones."

Flash blinked, coming back to himself a little more as Peter hurried him down the street and around a corner. "Patrols? Wait, Peter...You're Spider-Man?"

Peter sighed, annoyed that Flash had stopped walking. "Yes and listen...You can't tell anyone, okay? You have to promise you'll keep it a secret."

Flash was about to argue, just like he always did, but Peter looked so earnest, so desperate he found himself agreeing. "Okay, I won't."

Peter shook his head. "I'm serious. If people found out I was Spider-Man then bad guys could start going after May and you know she's all I have left."

Flash held up his hands in surrender. "Dude, I already said okay. I get it. I won't tell anyone."

Peter watched him for a moment, searching his eyes for any sign that he wasn't being truthful. When he found none he nodded and continued down the street. "Good. Thanks."

Flash followed, mind running through all the new information he'd just been given. "I should be thanking you, you're the one that saved us and took all those hits for me. Why did you do that?"

Peter turned to answer but Flash stopped walking again, eyebrows furrowing down over wide eyes as he realised. "Wait! This whole time, I've been giving you crap and messing around with you and you could have kicked my ass."

Peter laughed a little as if embarrassed but Flash was genuinely confused.

"Why didn't you?"

Peter watched him for a moment, quiet like he was thinking about something that made him sad before he shrugged and looked away again. "Hero's don't hurt people, Flash. And if I ever did hit you back...I could kill you on accident. I don't ever want that to happen."

Flash was so shocked he almost forgot to keep walking. Peter had been a hero this whole time and he hadn't known. Sure, Peter was always really nice to everyone and Flash honestly couldn't think of anything more hero like but to think he'd been putting up with his crap for so long. He didn't know how he did it.

"Hey, Peter. I'm sorry. For...everything. I've been a dick. You didn't deserve it."

Peter climbed over a small wall, sitting on the top and reaching down to help Flash up. "Don't worry about it. If anything you helped keep my cover safe...I mean, until today."

Flash grabbed his hand and allowed himself to be hauled up, the both of them hopping down on the other side. Flash landed easily on his feet but Peter stumbled a little, a hand coming up to clutch his arm as he groaned.

"Peter? Are you-Oh, my god, you're bleeding." He didn't mean Peters lip or the cut on his forehead, he meant the messy tear in Peters' bicep, blood soaked through the arm of his shirt. The spider looked down at his arm, wincing through the pain.

"It looks bad." Flash was right, it really did. The whole time they'd been walking the blood had been steadily dripping down his arm, along the inside of his elbow and down his wrist to drip off his fingers. He squeezed the wound harder to try and put pressure on it as he breathed through the pain.

"It looks worse than it is. It's just a graze."

He kept walking, the two of them getting closer to home and Flash followed hurriedly after. "A graze? From what? A- holy shit, Parker did you get shot back there?!"

Peter groaned, swaying a little on his feet and Flash found himself reaching for him. "Woah! Dude, you're not okay."

Peter stopped walking, allowing Flash to look him over. He screwed up his face in disgust as he watched blood spill from between Peters' fingers. "We need to stop the bleeding."

Peter pulled shallow hisses of air through his teeth as Flash fumbled around with his shirt, surprising Peter with the sound of fabric tearing. He opened his eyes to see what the sound was about, finding Flash tearing the bottom of his favourite shirt to use as a bandage for Peter.

"Here." Flash was quiet and gentle, wrapping the strips of his shirt around Peters' arm and tying it tight to staunch the blood. "Does that feel okay? Not too tight?"

He looked up at Peter and waited for his answer, honestly concerned. It was not a position Peter had ever thought he'd be in. It took him a moment to answer, mind slow from fatigue, shock and blood loss.

"Yeah, I mean no, I mean...It's good, thanks."

Flash nodded and they kept moving. "So, where are we actually going?"

Peter shuffled along, feeling Flash's hand at his back to steady him. "The police station. We'll tell them we got away and let them know where Abel and the others are so they can arrest them. May's gotta be worried sick."

He felt awful enough physically but just thinking about May sitting at a police station, waiting to hear from some kidnappers if he's okay was so much worse.

Flash sounded unsure. "Should that really be our first stop?"

Peter looked at him, tired eyes narrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Flash made a face, one that meant Peter was an idiot for not noticing sooner. "Dude, you look awful. You're covered in blood and bruises. There's no way they're just going to let you go home like that. They'll question you for ages and they'll take pictures of all your injuries and stuff and then they'll make you go to the hospital. I've seen it on crime shows and the superheroes in movies always so 'no hospitals' in situations like this."

Peter was going to roll his eyes and reiterate that they were not living in a movie but actually Flash was right. "Yeah, okay. What did you have in mind?"

::::::

Thankfully they'd only been a little ways off and Peter was relieved to say Flash's plan was a sound one. His arm and chest still hurt badly enough that he had to work not to make any noise as he helped Flash climb up to the right window and the two of them perched there, on the small balcony as he knocked on the window.

The curtain shifted and pulled back, revealing Ned's shocked face. "Peter? Flash?! What are you guys doing?! Are you-"

Peter held his sore arm tight to his chest as he interrupted. "Are your parents home?"

Ned shook his head and ushered the two inside, closing the window behind them. "They're out. But what are you guys doing here?! You were on the news! They say you were kidnapped!"

Peter sat down on his friend's bed, exhausted as Flash lingered awkwardly by the window. "Yeah, we were. We're not now."

Ned knelt in front of Peter, taking in the sight of him with huge, worried eyes. "Peter, what happened to you?"

The look between the two boys seemed too intimate for Flash to watch and he looked away, wishing he had someone to look at him like that. Ned and Peter looked at each other so earnestly, like they'd do anything for each other, die for each other. They looked like brothers and Flash wrapped his arms around himself as Peter explained.

"They wanted Flash's dad to pay his ransom but he refused so, they got mad. I couldn't let them hurt him."

Ned sighed and grabbed a blanket from the end of his bed, wrapping it around his friend's shoulders. "Oh, dude. Let me clean you up and get you warm and then you better get to the police station and let May know you're okay."

Peter gripped the blanket gratefully, shoulders slumping. "Did she call you?"

Ned nodded and pulled a first aid kit out from under his bed, having patched Peter up before. "Yeah, she was freaking out and thought I might have known where you went. She asked if it was a-" He stopped, looking towards Flash before censoring his words. "-a you-know-what thing but I didn't know if it was or not. She'll be okay once you're back with her."

Peter nodded towards Flash. "It's okay. He knows now. I had to use my powers to get us out."

Ned looked surprised, glancing up at Flash but he didn't do anything but offer a sterile wipe. "Can you help? I'll do his arm, you do his face."

Flash was surprised Ned didn't have anything else to say to him. About him finding out about Spider-Man, about how he was perfectly fine while Peter was beaten to hell. But in a way he was grateful, he wouldn't have to explain himself and he simply took the wipe and got to work.

Peter sat dutifully still as Flash gently dabbed the wipe at the cut on his forehead before doing the same to his split lip, gently cleaning the blood away from his face.

"I didn't say it before but...thanks. For saving me and for taking those hits for me. You didn't have to do that, especially after everything I've done to you. I didn't deserve your help."

Peter's face was tight with pain as Ned cleaned and bandaged his arm but his gaze was honest and open. "You're a kid. You make mistakes that doesnt mean you don't deserve to be saved."

Flash swiped the little cotton pad across Peters jaw, careful not to press too hard against the bruises. "You're a kid too."

Peter looked quietly down to the floor, Ned watching him close with sad eyes and Flash knew what that look said. Peter was a teenager but he'd been through too much to really be called a kid and that made Flash sadder than anything else.

Once Peter had been cleaned up as much as he could be Ned helped him into a hoodie, pulling it gently up over his friends head to hide at least the cut on his brow.

"We should get going. The police would have found Abel and the rest by now, they'll be looking for us."

Peter got up from the bed and headed back for the window before Ned stopped him, a gentle hand on his chest. "Wait, Peter, you need to eat something first. You know you won't heal as fast if you're hungry and tired. I can at least help with the hungry part."

He ran to the kitchen and grabbed a sandwich from the fridge, handing it to Peter before gently pulling him into a hug. "I'm really glad you're safe, man."

Peter smiled a little as he hugged his best friend back, chin dipping to rest on Ned's shoulder. It looked like Ned was holding Peter up, healing him with just a few words and a hug and Flash thought maybe that's why they were brothers. Peter may have been Spider-Man, he may take care of the whole city but Ned took care of Peter.

"Thanks, buddy. Me too."

:::

Peter finished the sandwich a block away from the police station and Flash was pleased to see it really had helped. Peter didn't look so tired and was steadier on his feet too. He would be okay and Flash didn't feel so guilty.

The precinct was a mess when they finally got there. Peter could hear people yelling from all the way outside but it was even worse inside.

"YOU TOLD ME YOU'D FIND THEM! YOU SAID WE COULDN'T PAY THE RANSOM BECAUSE IT WOULD ONLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO HARM THE BOYS BUT NOW THEY'RE MISSING! WHERE IS MY SON!"

That was Flash's dad, furious and loud as he yelled at a policeman trying valiantly to calm him but he wasn't the only one yelling.

"SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE MY BOY IS RIGHT NOW, OR I'LL BE CALLING- oh my god! Peter?"

May had spotted her nephew in the midst of her lecture and shoved her way past the officer she'd been yelling at to run at her kid. She sprinted for him wrapping her arms around him and squeezing hard as she cried.

"Oh, thank god. Thank god, you're okay."

Mr Thompson turned at the shout, seeing his son and running for him as May had. "Flash!"

"Dad!" The two hugged, happy to be back together, safe and sound.

"How did you two escape? What happened? Are you alright?"

Peter met Flash' eyes across the room, begging him to keep his promise. Flash smiled at him quietly before turning to his dad, eyes lit up in excitement. "Spider-Man saved us! It was awesome! Peter was so scared he was practically crying but I was brave!"

Flash gave Peter a smirk and he laughed, relieved beyond measure. They were safe, his identity was safe. Everything was okay again.

May held Peters arms, pulling back to look him over. "Oh, baby they hurt you. Your lip, it's swollen."

Peter ducked his head and pulled her hands away from his arms, not wanting her to know the tight grip was hurting him. "I'm okay. I promise."

Or at least, he would be if they could convince the cops not to look at him too closely. He couldn't have them see his injuries and then asking where the disappeared to a day later.

Thankfully, Tony chose that moment to make his grand entrance, slamming the doors open and demanding to know where his kid was.

"WHERE IS HE?! WHERE'S PETER?!"

One of the officers sighed, rubbing a hand over her forehead. "Why is everyone yelling today?"

Peter lifted his face enough for Tony to see him beneath the hoodie, letting go of May to walk over to the mechanic. "Mr Stark-"

Peter was expecting to be pulled aside and grilled about whether his identity was safe or lectured about how to handle situations like his but Tony raced over and swept him up in a hug just like May had.

"Thank god, Pete. You're okay! They told me you'd been taken and then the news kept saying things about human traffickers and finding blood at the crime scene and then they were saying you were missing and they could have sold you already and you didn't have your suit on or your phone so I couldn't track you and-"

Peter was worried that Tony would pass out soon if he didn't take a breath and he hugged him back just as tight. "I'm okay. A little banged up but nothing I can't handle."

Tony pulled him back to look him over, hands gently lifting Peters hoodie to find the band-aid laid across his forehead and the bruises over his face. "Do you need to see Bruce?"

Peter considered, wanting to just go home and sleep but knowing he needed his head and ribs checked out and his arm probably needed stitches too. "Yeah."

Tony brushed Peters curls back under his hoodie, gently tugging the material over the boy's forehead before sliding his hands down to cup his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry this happened, Peter. I came as soon as I heard, but I should have been here for you, I should have saved you."

Peter shook his head, hating to see his mentor blame himself. "No, it's not your fault. You can't watch over me all the time. I had it handled."

Tony sighed, looking as tired as Peter felt. "You really scared me today, kiddo."

Peter's shoulders sagged at that and he dipped his head low, feeling horrible for scaring everyone he loved in one night. "I'm sorry."

Tony shrugged, brushing off his apology. "It's not your fault either, Pete. I'm just glad you're safe. And I promise this will never happen again. In fact, I sent Rhodey and Steve to go pay those kidnappers a visit and thank them for their kind hospitality. They're also cleaning up the blood you left on the floor and making sure it doesnt get into any databases. Your secrets safe."

Peter nodded, relieved to hear he didn't have to worry about any of it. "Flash knows. I had to use my powers in front of him."

Tony just nodded and looked towards the Thompson kid where he was standing with his dad, mouth agape as he stared at the hero. "You trust him?"

That morning Peter would have said no but after everything they'd been through in just that night he found himself nodding. "Yeah. I do."

(I really hope you like this? Sorry its kind of all over the place and definitly could have had a better written ending I know that but yeah Im super tired and I've been busy at work but anyway let me know what you think.

I didn't write this as FLash and Peter slash but honestly it kind of took on that tone so if you ship them then you do you and enjoy it and read this as slash but if not thats cool too)


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